Liv Lazenkas is the talented creative mastermind behind Flawless Interiors. Having started Flawless Interiors at just 19 years of age, Liv has been in business for three years now, with the interior design company going from strength to strength.
Chatting with us from her design studio in Carpets Galore Floorworld Thomastown, Liv shared her thoughts on the beginning of her journey: “it was scary, it was challenging, but at the same time, I think it was probably one of the best things I’ve ever done”.
“Working in flooring and working with colours, and stuff like that every day, different textures. I always loved when people came in and bought in their sample of their fabric for their couch or their curtains, and I’d love putting it all together. And I was like, I think I quite like this, I could make this a living.”
This evolution of Liv’s career may have something to do with the best advice she says she’s ever received which was “do whatever you want”. She applies this to helping her clients create the homes of their dreams, stating “in life we say do what makes you happy, but I think when it comes to your house, do whatever makes you happy … you’re the one who has to live with it, you have to love it.”
Following on from this we got talking about what makes Liv tick and how she creates beautiful spaces for her clients. So, join us as we learn more about Liv and her journey as the first piece of our Strong Women in Design series this Women’s History Month.
Liv’s Favourite Place In The Home:
We’re kicking off this piece exploring Liv’s favourite place in the home, as we feel like her answer really showcases her character. Down to earth and caring, Liv loves to create spaces where people can gather and create lasting memories with their families. It’s no surprise, therefore, that her favourite part of the home is the kitchen.
“I’d definitely have to say the kitchen. I do love to cook, but I just think it’s a really communal space in the home, it’s where people come together. I always grew up sitting at the kitchen bench and watching mum so it’s really important when I design homes for other families, that I sort of give that to them as well … it’s an entertaining space, it’s a dining space, you cook, yea, the kitchen is definitely the heart of the home.”
Exploring Some More Favourites:
Before we jumped into things like her creative process, advice for aspiring interior designers and a day in her life, Liv shared some more favourites with us including her favourite colour (blue) and texture: “I love wool loop carpet … it’s just such a big area when you carpet, and when you’ve got something textured it just looks incredible [and is] really nice underfoot”.
Her favourite design palette, unsurprisingly, features blue within it, with other design features matching her bright and bubbly personality. “I do love, a crisp white kitchen, I love a touch of blue, definitely some brushed brass, just quite light and bright.” Liv would pair these preferences with natural oak floors as this style is “quite timeless, it’s not going to date, just something with some character. So I do love that natural oak because it’s got the beautiful knots in there, beautiful texture, and a woodgrain, so definitely my go to.”
These favourites naturally manifest themselves in her personal design style, which is both elegant and eclectic. “I do love coastal and Hamptons inspired homes, I do love farmhouse as well. I love a good barn style home, exposed trusses and raw elements, so I’ve definitely got a few different styles that I love.”
A Day In Life Of Liv:
Like most small business owners, Liv’s days are hectic and there is little time to relax. Luckily, however, she loves everything about it and finds her days quite enjoyable.
“It’s always very chaotic, I could say I’m running around like a headless chook. But every day is just so different. On site a lot, a lot of supplier visits, a lot of meeting with clients, but I do spend a lot of time in the studio too. I really do love this space … a lot of clients come in here [as well], which is fabulous, we love having them.”
The Best And Worst Parts Of Her Job:
Liv’s bubbly and outgoing personality comes through in her favourite part of her job which she identifies as working with people. “I meet so many amazing people, and I have amazing clients. And you know, working with them, you really get to know the clients, you’re in their home. We’ve really got to understand their lifestyle, and it’s quite personal, having someone through your home and working with someone for their renovation or new build. So yea, I’d have to say definitely working with amazing people.”
With this in mind, it’s no surprise that Liv identifies the most rewarding part of the process as being when she gets to hand over a project to her clients:
“I would definitely say the end. When the homeowner walks into their newly renovated home or their new build and just seeing that look on their face, it’s just emotional and all that hard work pays off.”
On the other hand, Liv identifies the most challenging part of her job to be getting the different parts of a project to align. “Having a timeline, and sticking to it, can be quite difficult. Unfortunately there’s a lot of long lead times on products at the moment, and getting trades in, so that’s probably the most difficult part of the job.”
Where Inspiration Is Born:
Although creative industries are arguably some of the most fun and fulfilling sectors to work in – you get to create something out of nothing after all – entrepreneurs and workers can often find themselves needing a little extra inspiration when that creative block pops up. The good news is that inspiration can be found almost anywhere, so we were interested to see where Liv gets hers from.
“I really tend to get inspired by landscapes. Being down at the beach I find very inspiring, and a lot of the time I tend to derive those colours. So when I’m doing a coastal property, I derive those blues from the ocean and those neutral tones from the sand, the rocks and stuff like that. Country properties I just find those earthy tones, I like to bring the outside in. So I really would say the landscape.”
In addition to creating this blend between interior and exterior worlds, Liv is also inspired by Shea McGee. “I just think her designs are timeless, they’re beautiful, and they feel lived in, it feels like home. So, I think she’s really really amazing at what she does.”
The Creative Process She Follows:
When designing spaces for her clients, Liv likes to keep the process simple and centred around elements that they love. This means that every project starts with a solid discovery phase, and is built upon colours and textures that will make her clients feel at home in their spaces.
“You’ve definitely got to start with inspiration … creating collages and gathering inspirational pictures and working to your mood boards. Finding materials that you know you really love and then making your selections based on those materials.”
“What Flawless Interiors is all about is really creating timeless design.”
The Top Three Things She’s Learnt:
We know that this question is always a hard one as small business owners are constantly learning and evolving, but we wanted to know what Liv’s top learnings have been if she had to choose three. Her response did not disappoint, and we feel that these skills are all incredibly important for entrepreneurs.
“One would definitely have to be how to run a business, you have to learn quite quickly … there’s not someone there to hold your hand and guide you so you need to throw yourself in the deep end and learn quite quickly.
You really need to learn to stay organised, unfortunately you can’t afford to be a mess. In your everyday life and in business it’s really important to have good organisation.
And number three, I would have to say is to have a good balance of both work and life … I love Flawless Interiors, I love what I’ve built, but at the same time, I love travelling and I love seeing the world and doing things, so I really do try to have a good work/life balance.”
Advice For Aspiring Interior Designers:
When asked what advice she would give to aspiring interior designers, Liv placed emphasis on the practical side of things stating: “I would definitely say get out there and see what’s going on. I’ve had a few lovely people come and do work experience with me, and you really get to understand the job a lot more. Unfortunately, school doesn’t teach you what it’s like, so I’d definitely say get out there and really get your hands dirty.”
Having started her business at just 19 years of age, this is a lesson Liv learnt young, with her previous experience working in flooring creating a solid foundation for the wonderful work she now does as Flawless Interiors.
The Design She’s Most Proud Of So Far:
Celebrating achievements is important, so of course, we had to know which of Liv’s designs that she has completed so far she is most proud of.
“I did a provincial home in Lower Plenty and it was a really really big challenging job but I was really proud of how it went … unfortunately I had to step in halfway and change a lot of the selections which was really really hard, but you know for doing it so quickly and being able to just pull it together, I was definitely really proud.”
On Trends In The Home:
Liv’s main focus when creating designs for her clients is ensuring that they feel comfortable and at home in their space. Because of this, although she isn’t against having trends in the home, she does recommend staying true to your personal style and not incorporating them in ways that are hard to switch out unless the trend suits the overall vibe you want in your home.
“Trends are very in and out, and I mean, it’s great to have some trends in your home, this year I definitely see chrome and silver and mirror and stuff like that coming in, but that’s where I’d just keep it to décor, and things that are able to be changed out quite easily, and cost effectively.”
Where Liv Sees The Future Of Interior Design Going:
Much to Liv’s delight, interior design in more recent years has focused on showcasing the homeowner’s personality and creating a space that they really love, rather than being concerned about uniformity or resale value.
“I think [the future is] quite exciting because everyone now is just able to have a home that’s so different, and I love that. So I think that as we’re evolving we’re able to recognise all these different design styles and that what someone likes, someone else might not like … everyone is just having their own individual style and I see it continuing that way.”
Does Your Home Need A Refresh?
Head over to our Store Locator to find your closest Imagine Floors stockist to handle all your flooring needs, and reach out to Liv at Flawless Interiors if you’re after expert advice and assistance with your design.
